Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005

New fire safety rules affecting all non-domestic premises in England and Wales came into force on 1 October 2006. If you are:

• responsible for business premises
• an employer
• self-employed with business premises
• a charity or voluntary organisation
• a contractor with a degree of control over any premises

It replaces most fire safety legislation with one simple order. It means that any person who has some level of control in premises must take reasonable steps to reduce the risk from fire and make sure people can safely escape if there is a fire.

Where does the order apply?

The order applies to virtually all premises and covers nearly every type of building, structure and open space. For example, it applies to:

• offices and shops
• premises that provide care, including care homes and hospitals
• community halls, places of worship and other community premises
• the shared areas of properties several households live in
• pubs, clubs and restaurants
• schools and sports centres
• tents and marquees
• hotels and hostels
• factories and warehouses.

What are the main rules under the order?

You must:

• carry out a fire-risk assessment identifying any possible dangers and risks
• consider who may be especially at risk
• get rid of or reduce the risk from fire as far as is reasonably possible and provide general fire precautions to deal with any possible risk left
• take other measures to make sure there is protection if flammable or explosive materials are used or stored create a plan to deal with any emergency and, in most cases, keep a record of your findings
• review your findings when necessary.

Who is responsible for meeting the order?

Under the order, anyone who has control of premises or anyone who has a degree of control over certain areas or systems may be responsible persons. For example, it could be:

• the employer for those parts of premises staff may go to
• the managing agent or owner for shared parts of premises or shared fire safety equipment such as fire-warning systems or sprinklers
• the occupier, such as self-employed people or voluntary organisations if they have any control
• any other person who has some control over a part of the premises.

Although in many premises the responsible person will be obvious, there may be times when a number of people have some responsibility.

CDS can provide your organisation with all the services to meet these requirements, including:

• An accurate fire risk assessment
• Adequate staff training
• Evacuation procedures
• Fire fighting and detection equipment
• Escape lighting
• Escape signage